DiMatteo pleads guilty to marijuana charge

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Former South Lake Tahoe medical marijuana dispensary operator Gino DiMatteo pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

As part of a plea agreement, DiMatteo, 43, admitted he possessed, and intended to distribute, marijuana seized from his home Aug. 31, according to a Wednesday statement from federal prosecutors.

During the August search investigators discovered a hidden door that led to rooms that had been set up to grow marijuana indoors.

Detectives also discovered about 5 pounds of processed marijuana and 15 pounds of "shake," marijuana fragments used for cooking marijuana edibles, according to the statement.

Also found were various edible marijuana products, a scale, pay/owe sheets and a heat sealing machine known to be used to prepare marijuana for distribution and shipping. DiMatteo lists himself as receiving $7,000 biweekly in one of the documents.

DiMatteo is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller April 17. The maximum statutory penalty for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana is 30 years in prison.